This invention relates to fishing reels and in particular to a two speed fishing reel with a new and improved shift mechanism for moving between a high speed operation and a low speed operation, and to a braking or drag system with new and improved braking operation.
Fishing reels with two speeds and some form of gear shifting and fishing reels with various drag constructions are well known. See for example U.S. patents 4,560,118; 4,867,392; 5,297,756; and 5,454,526.
In such prior designs when the braking or drag force is applied to one side of the spool, a significant torque load can be applied to the spool. Distortion problems occur when line is pulled on the side of the spool opposite the brake. This results in less braking efficiency and heating of the reel, with uneven and faster wear. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved fishing reel with braking at both ends of the spool, while utilizing the conventional drag lever for operation by the fisherman to control the drag.
Earlier shift mechanisms in fishing reels have some problems with the quickness to change gears. One prior reel uses the movement of the whole handle mechanism from left to right to change gears. This can prove to be slow and difficult when the excitement of fishing is added into the equation. Another prior reel uses a push button to change to low gear. But the release button for switching back to high gear is in an awkward position. Also, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved fishing reel with two speed shifting which overcomes these disadvantages.
Other objects, advantages, features and results will more fully appear in the course of the following description.
A dual speed fishing reel having a housing with a spool on a spool shaft, a driven gear on the spool shaft, the driven gear having a low speed pinion and a high speed pinion, and including means for engaging the spool in driving relation, a drive shaft, a low speed-drive gear for engaging the low speed pinion and a high speed drive gear for engaging the high speed pinion, with the drive gears carried on the drive shaft, with one of the drive gears fixed to the drive shaft for rotation by the drive shaft and with the other of the drive gears riding on the drive shaft independent of rotation of the drive shaft, the high speed drive gear having means for engaging the low speed drive gear, and gear shift means for moving the low speed drive gear into and out of engagement with the high speed drive gear. The reel includes means for supporting the spool shaft in the housing for axial movement in the housing, with the driven gears sliding and rotating on the spool shaft.
The gear shift means more specifically includes a shift rod sliding axially between a low speed position and a high speed position, spring means for urging the shift rod to one of the positions, and latch means for latching the shift rod in the other of the positions, and including means for releasing the shift rod for movement by the spring means to the one position. Preferably the low speed gear is carried on the shift rod for translation with the shift rod into and out of driving engagement with the high speed gear, and the drive shaft and low speed gear include interengaging means for rotating the low speed gear with the drive shaft when the low speed gear is moved axially by the shift rod relative to the drive shaft.
The reel of the invention also may include first and second braking surfaces on opposite ends of the spool, first and second brake pads for engaging the first and second braking surfaces, respectively, means for mounting the first brake pad on the spool shaft for axial translation with the spool shaft, means for mounting the second brake pad on the spool shaft with the spool shaft axially moveable relative to the second brake pad, and means for translating the spool shaft to bring the first brake pad into braking engagement with the first braking surface of the spool and to bring the second braking surface of the spool into braking engagement with the second brake pad.
The braking arrangement more specifically includes a drag lever carried in the housing for actuation by the fisherman, a first cam member carried on the spool shaft for moving the spool shaft axially, and a second cam member carried on the drag lever for engagement with the first cam member, with the cam members engageable with each other for converting rotational motion of the drag lever into axial motion of the spool shaft for moving the brake pads in to and out of engagement with the spool braking surfaces.
The braking construction may also use compression springs on the spool shaft for equalizing axial loads. In one embodiment an anti-rotation pin on the spool shaft prevents shaft rotation while permitting shaft translation. A one-way roller clutch may be used between the spool shaft and one of the brake pads for permitting rotation of the brake pad in only one direction. An anti-reverse dog may be used with the other of the brake pads to permit rotation of the brake pad in only one direction. Two drag levers may be used for coarse and fine control of the braking action. In another embodiment the spool shaft rotates as well as translating, and the anti-rotation pin and roller clutch are omitted.